2-min video: Lynn de Souza on the new IRS methodology

Media Research Users Council (MRUC) and Readership Studies Council of India (RSCI) had awarded the contract for the new avatar of the Indian Readership Survey (IRS) to the Nielsen Company last year. The new version of the readership survey will be released in December 2013.

There was a lot of confusion and chaos, with many publisher disagreements regarding the earlier methodology. Publishers complained that IRS put a different picture of their reach and readership.

The new agency has given priority to technology over physical research and analysts believe it will help them to come with some accurate numbers without any errors in the non-sampling data.

The pilot study has commenced in March 2013, while the IRS field work will commence from May 2013.

Talking to exchange4media, Lynn de Souza, Chairperson, RSCI and Vice Chairman, MRUC said, “New IRS methodology is very different from whatever has been done in the country before. There is a big change in the way we actually capture data, the way we will store, analyse and disseminate it. Everything is going to be digital.”